Chapter 98: Flowing Water at Fingertips
But since things have come to this, let's eat first.
Lu Xiaofeng wasn't one to wallow in melancholy, and he was so carefree that anxiety had absolutely nothing to do with him. Since he'd already hit a wall, there was nothing to worry about. After all, worrying was useless. If Su Mengzhen really wanted to hold it against him and Hua Manlou for listening to Xie Huailing gossip about him, what could Lu Xiaofeng do?
Besides, Xie Huailing would be there to hold the sky up even if it fell. Su Mengzhen couldn't possibly skip over Xie Huailing and cause trouble for the two of them first. Once this thought was clear, Lu Xiaofeng felt a sense of relief and, after drinking two large cups of wine, still took Hua Manlou and Xie Huailing to the boat to play.
The beauty of the Lantern Festival needs no further introduction. The three of them listened to the folk songs on the shore, admired the ten miles of silver flowers and the thousands of houses ablaze with lights, and in the blink of an eye, they forgot the pain and started chatting about all sorts of things.
Xie Huailing really dared to say anything and anything. And if she dared to talk, Lu Xiaofeng dared to talk back, and Hua Manlou dared to listen. In no time, the unofficial histories she made up could circle Bianjing. She didn't even spare the bad movies she had watched in her previous life. She just changed the names and backgrounds and poured them all into Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou's minds. She was still talking about it on the way back.
Xie Huailing is not a talkative person, but she also likes to find some fun. Since no one listens at Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, she can say everything now, which is also very enjoyable for her.
Lu Xiaofeng wasn't enjoying it as much. The more he listened, the more his eyebrows furrowed, twisting into a crumpled ball of paper, which touched his bewildered face—a face that had lost its smile after his failed attempts to understand. Gradually, he didn't want to listen anymore. What kept him from interrupting was his curiosity: just how bad could these stories be? Just how shameless could the writers be?
But human abilities are ultimately limited, and Lu Xiaofeng finally gave up, saying, "Stop, stop, stop! I beg you, don't continue. Let's watch something else next time. Doesn't your eye hurt?"
“Pain was useless. When I was watching it, I wanted to go over and beat the person up with a sack, but since I had already read this far, I just finished watching it.” This was also an unpleasant memory for Xie Huailing back then. “It turns out I shouldn’t have had that thought.”
Hua Manlou could barely manage a smile. He frowned, opened his mouth several times, but the words that came out were just a sigh: "It turns out you shouldn't have gone to see it."
Lu Xiaofeng added, "It turns out that we should have put the burlap sacks on them from the beginning."
Xie Huailing wholeheartedly agreed: "You're right. But please walk slower, my legs are sore."
After walking around the street twice and returning, her exercise level had already exceeded the total amount of exercise she had done in the past year (although it seemed like she hadn't exercised at all), which could be described as a long training session. However, Lu Xiaofeng looked at the side gate of the Beggars' Sect that he had already left behind, and then looked at the courtyard that was emerging in the distance, and said, "There are only a few steps left, Miss Xie, are you really not moving an inch at the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion?"
"So what if I don't move? Did I eat your rice?"
"I've eaten today." Lu Xiaofeng was serious for a second, then smiled and suggested, "Do you want me to carry you? It's just a matter of a few breaths to your door."
He leaned closer, winking at Xie Huailing. The smell of alcohol was just an embellishment for a playboy, never a true stench of alcohol, especially since tonight was a clear, moonlit night, perfect for displaying his dashing spirit.
Xie Huailing was really considering it, but there weren't many steps left to take, so she pushed Lu Xiaofeng back: "No, it's more like Hua Manlou will carry me."
Lu Xiaofeng was slightly angry, and then, in a fit of rage, he snapped, "Listen to what you're saying! I was just trying to be helpful!"
He pretended to be looking for an explanation from Xie Huailing, but Hua Manlou opened his fan and blocked his way, looking at this adult who occasionally resembled a child: "Why are you making a scene with her? Why don't you both just be quiet?"
To everyone's surprise, Xie Huailing didn't even spare Hua Manlou, saying in a low voice, "Seventh Young Master Hua has quite the face."
Unable to contain his laughter, Lu Xiaofeng clutched his stomach and bent over with mirth, not forgetting to pat Hua Manlou on the shoulder. Hua Manlou shook his head at the teasing, and after being patted a few more times by Lu Xiaofeng, he raised his hand towards Xie Huailing's face. Xie Huailing shamelessly leaned closer, letting him scold, pull, and pinch as he pleased.
However, Hua Manlou, who couldn't help but chuckle, ultimately didn't pinch her thick-skinned face, but instead brushed the flower petals off her head: "Especially you."
Xie Huailing would never remember such a trivial lesson. Not only did she not change her posture, but she also tilted her head slightly and said, "What did I do? Explain yourself... ah."
Her words came to an abrupt end as she straightened up. The petals from Hua Manlou's fingertips fell back to the ground, marking an abrupt pause, or perhaps rewinding, turning back the harmonious atmosphere to the night of waiting alone.
Hua Manlou said softly, "It seems there's no need to see me off. See you tomorrow, Huailing."
The two people, whose relationship had soured, bid her farewell and turned away behind the bright reflection of the jade plate. Caught between a lingering sense of unfinished business and a feeling that there were still things to say, Xie Huailing stood rooted to the spot, as if a thread still connected her, carrying her heart to a distant place. This was not the time to think about many things; her eyes had been cleansed, seeing no trace of dust, only a slender, translucent silver light within her sight.
They have walked for a very long time, and the length of time itself is a kind of waiting. She is just standing here, which is itself a kind of being waited for.
In the other direction, the opposite of the silver light, upstream of the river, there is a solitary wandering, a solitary silence.
She took a step and walked towards it. The fire drew closer, but her steps were neither hurried nor slow, until she was nowhere near it, and both waiting and being waited for came to an end.
Then she said, "OP, it's just a short play, why are you arresting me? Even if I report this to the authorities, they won't find me wrong."
The unpleasant memories of the day resurfaced, and Su Mengzhen, who had been deliberately avoiding the topic, remained silent. A chill ran through him, a vague, lingering feeling, and his heart felt empty. Rather than feeling embarrassed or resentful, his gaze avoided her face. The deep, dark night couldn't conceal any expression, revealing every change. But it was only one night, and he understood that the night was as cool as flowing water, and flowing water could not be followed. He couldn't see every place the flowing water had passed through.
All the feelings he had during the day were now stuck in his throat, just as he had never been able to say anything to her without hindrance. He seemed to hesitate, which sounded somewhat strange. He only said, "We'll deal with this later. I need to talk to you about something."
"Let's talk about everything another day. Master, you should take a good look at what time it is now." Xie Huailing looked up at the sky.
"What time is it now? You should be asking yourself that." Su Mengzhen returned her words to her. "If I come to see you another day, I'm afraid you'll have something else to do on that day."
Just like today, when he couldn't get her to come to him, he came in person... Let's not talk about it.
Xie Huailing was caught off guard and still wanted to decline, but after thinking it over, she was even less willing to achieve the goal of seeing her boss every day. Her eyes shifted several times, and the last one was fleeting, no longer showing much resistance, but Su Mengzhen felt that something was not quite right, as if something was about to be pinned on her: "Alright, I actually have something to ask you, Master. I'll go get some things, and then please lead the way."
Lead the way? Su Mengzhen was slightly puzzled and asked, "Where to?"
Xie Huailing took two steps at a time, retreating behind her courtyard gate, and darted back into the courtyard in a flash, her voice gradually fading into the distance: "Going to your place, you can't be without a place to stay—you must wait for me, the host can't leave first!"
Her voice trailed off, followed by a series of footsteps and a noisy rummaging, leaving Su Mengzhen standing at the door.
.
Ren Ci hadn't expected Su Mengzhen to come in person and was completely unprepared. Fortunately, Qiu Lingsu, who had avenged her great enemy, quickly composed herself. She not only helped Ren Ci handle the chaotic affairs of the Beggars' Sect, but also squeezed out time to arrange Su Mengzhen's accommodations. Thinking that he might not like extravagance and wealth, she chose a place that was grand and elegant, not too far from Xie Huailing's residence.
This allowed Xie Huailing to bring out a pile of books, stuff them into Su Mengzhen's arms, and then urge him to hurry up and leave, saying that she was really tired today.
In fact, when she was at Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, entering Su Mengzhen's bedroom was like coming home. Now, her attitude was even more practiced. At first, Su Mengzhen couldn't refuse, but now, knowing it was inappropriate, he had become used to it. However, this did not mean that Xie Huailing could look around after entering the room and then, with some unknown thoughts in mind, start scanning him from head to toe.
Su Mengzhen put down the book in his arms and told her to speak her mind.
On the way, he asked her what she was going to do, but she didn't answer. She only said that since Su Mengzhen was here, it would be more effective for him to do it than for her to do it. Su Mengzhen didn't agree on the way, and when he was looked at by her straightforward and undisguised gaze, he couldn't help but have some doubts. He inexplicably felt that it wouldn't be a good thing, or even a troublesome one.
On the contrary, Xie Huailing spoke in a more natural way this time: "Grand Tutor Li arrived at Li Garden a few days ago, and I was already planning to send him my visiting card. However, since you are here in person, it would be better if you went yourself. After all, some things are more sincere when you say them."
That makes perfect sense, Su Mengzhen thought, and Xie Huailing then spread out all the books and said, “These are the books I found based on what Lin Shiyin wrote in her letter about Grand Tutor Li’s treasured collection. They are all masterpieces that Grand Tutor Li cherishes, or works by ancestors he regards as mentors in life. These are books I collected based on what Lin Shiyin mentioned about Grand Tutor Li’s preferences. If we can cater to his tastes and have a pleasant conversation, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort. You can take a look first, and I will explain them to you in detail.”
Su Mengzhen casually flipped open a book, and the first thing that caught his eye was Xie Huailing's handwriting, which already showed a transcendent level of skill in writing talismans. Each character had its own life, unwilling to be defined by its original meaning. He read on without any change in expression, recognizing that Xie Huailing had indeed put in a lot of hard work and was determined to win over Li Taifu.
This touched him somewhat, and he suddenly thought that he should just let her go and not pursue the matter further. This wasn't the first time she had offended him, and he had said he wouldn't ask her to change her ways. But then he thought again, and he couldn't forget what he had heard during the day. His expression almost became quite interesting again.
Unable to come up with a solution, he glanced up slightly and saw that she hadn't moved, still staring at him intently, as if her eyes were glued to his body. Su Mengzhen was truly uncomfortable with this, coughing and covering his lips, but she still didn't look away, her gaze intense. Fortunately, things were different now, and he managed to keep his composure.
"Master," Xie Huailing examined him closely, then asked, "what are your thoughts?"
“…It’s not impossible, do as you say,” Su Mengzhen replied.
Xie Huailing nodded; this was exactly what she had been waiting for. Her usually expressionless face now looked much happier—happy? Something was definitely off!
As expected, but it was too late. Xie Huailing clasped his hands together and said, "Besides talking about these books, there are other things to prepare. What clothes did you bring this time, Master? 'Scholars are as fond of each other as Murong,' and scholars have always valued their appearance far more than those of martial artists. I need to take good care of you, Master."
Su Mengzhen's bad premonition came true.
Without a second thought, he replied, "No need, I can do it myself."
Xie Huailing wasn't about to let him get away, so she chased after him, saying, "I know more about this than you do, right? This matter is of great importance and cannot be wrong. It would be better if I did it."
After speaking, she took a step forward, her eyebrows curving into a gentle smile that he had never seen before, a smile that was neither quite a smile nor a frown.
Su Mengzhen wanted to be more resolute, preferably with a firm refusal, which would be too overstepping his bounds. However, Xie Huailing's words were not false. As the head of the Qingliu faction, Grand Tutor Li had increasingly high standards for appearance and demeanor. Moreover, he was indeed a man of the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), and could not be said to have much understanding of the preferences of scholars. In this respect, he was far inferior to Xie Huailing. Objectively speaking, it was indeed best for Xie Huailing to make the arrangements.
But, but...
Before Su Mengzhen could figure anything out, Xie Huailing walked towards him again. Even though they were still a step or two apart, he already spoke in a deep voice, showing that they were much more familiar now, and he wasn't as flustered as before: "Xie Huailing!"
Xie Huailing, defying the Heavenly Gang, even loudly emphasized, cutting him off: "We're talking about serious matters, Master!"
After she finished speaking, she didn't press him too hard. She stopped and looked up, which made it seem as if Su Mengzhen was overthinking things. They should be open and honest with each other: "Don't overthink it. I'm genuinely thinking about you and for the good of Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou."
Su Mengzhen remained silent, unable to utter a single word.
His heart was pounding in his chest, and his breathing was erratic, causing a sharp pain in his lungs. He stared at the person, and everything he hadn't said, including the lines of the play he had tried so hard to forget during the day, came flooding back to him.
Whether it was anger, embarrassment, or other indescribable emotions, he remained silent.
In this tense atmosphere, the lights gradually dimmed. She would probably come closer again, and he had to think of a way, but he couldn't.
Xie Huailing did not approach, and Su Mengzhen did not see her unfamiliar expression.
He was taken aback. She regained her nonchalant demeanor, as if what he had just imagined had been his imagination.
"Alright, just kidding. I wouldn't really do anything to you, Master." Xie Huailing's mood improved considerably, but she still defended herself. She knew that Su Mengzhen valued the separation of men and women. "I'll have someone arrange the clothes and makeup later. There's no rush for tonight. And then there's what happens during the day."
She didn't intend to give Su Mengzhen a chance to settle scores later, and asked casually, "Does the Master admire me?"
Before Su Mengzhen could even react in surprise, she immediately added, "That's right."
Having determined that the answer was no, Xie Huailing didn't even look at him, and closed the book she had opened. She didn't care about what he had said at all: "There are so many people in the martial arts world who gossip about other people's romantic affairs. There are probably plenty of people who have written about my affair with you. There might even be people who believe that you and I are a couple. But the innocent are innocent, and you won't bother yourself with this."
"The same principle applies today. We have to accept rumors and gossip. If I say them myself, won't I be more innocent?"
"In the end, it was nothing more than two jokes."
Yes, both were jokes.
Su Mengzhen belatedly realized that it was very late, and she should have been thinking about sleeping long ago; she certainly wouldn't have wanted to bother him. He, too, should have realized much earlier that this was her usual routine.
Nothing would have happened in the first place.
Besides, she's become much more well-behaved than before, and she'll get tired of the same tricks after a while. Tonight, Xie Huailing didn't even come within a step of him.
Su Mengzhen couldn't see her own expression, and Xie Huailing wasn't looking either. Xie Huailing was fixing her hair; her intention was simply to get rid of the work Su Mengzhen wanted to assign her, and then quickly prepare to leave: "It's all clear now. I'll head back now, OP. You can continue reading. Come find me if you have any questions."
After saying that, she prepared to say goodbye to Su Mengzhen; she, too, was like flowing water.
Flowing water cannot be retrieved.
Su Mengzhen suddenly realized something. He had said he wanted to understand her, to know her, and he had indeed become friends with her. From this perspective, they would naturally become more and more compatible. Sooner or later, he would get completely used to her, be able to tell the difference between her jokes and those words would no longer have any effect on him, and she would never mention them again.
Therefore, he waited for her tonight.
But another feeling told him that he hadn't actually waited for it tonight either, and the sensation of it slipping away through his fingers was particularly clear.
————————!!————————
Don't worry, there's a second half to this scene.
The original poster has already vaguely realized the problem.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com